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Bridget DOWNEY
Abt 1833 -
Has no ancestors but 27 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Bridget DOWNEY Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Abt 1833 Co. Roscommon, Ireland 
- From the 1861 census where shown as born 'Ireland, Roscommon' - not clear if this refers to the town or county.
Gender Female Died - Living when gave birth to son John in 1866, but appears to have died by the time of the 1871 census when her husband appears as a widower.
However, no clear death registration - not the Bridget KELLY whose death was registered in Wolverhampton RD in 1870, age given as 44 - not only a little old (age given as 27 in the 1861 census, and whilst not necessarily accurate 44 is 8 years older which seems unlikely) but also shown as the wife of Michael KELLY.
Probably the Bridget KELLY whose death was registered in Wolverhampton RD in 1867, age given as 32 - despite her being recorded as the wife of Patrick KELLY.
GRO ref: Kelly, Bridget q1 1867 aged 32 Wolverhampton RD 6b 379
Is this right? The death was registered by one Winefred DOWNING, who was present at the death. She made her mark so could her surname have actually have been the same as Bridget's maiden name, DOWNEY? But if she was a relative wouldn't she have got Bridget's husband's name correct? Plus, there was a Patrick KELLY with wife Bridget in the 1861 census, probably the couple who had married in Wolverhampton in 1853 (the bride being Bridget McLIN). Her age was recorded as 19 at marriage, but only 24 in the 1861 census, suggesting aged c 30 -33 in 1867, so fitting the death perfectly. However, there was also a couple Patrick KELLY with wife Bridget in the 1871 census. Ages practically the same, Patrick shown as born in Mayo in both, Bridget dittoed (Mayo) in 1861, though another McLINN in the household was shown as born in Galway. In 1871 Bridget was shown as born Galway. I can't find birth registrations for the children in either census, looking for a mother's maiden name of McLin or similar sounding, or just looking for KELLY (and similar sounding) with the appropriate Christian name - I am guessing they weren't registered; this limits the potential to link the two couples as the same though I think the age and birthplace evidence makes it quite strong. In addition, though I cannot find the baptisms of all the children named in the censuses, baptisms for a few children of Patrick KELLY and Bridget McLINN can be found on FMP; these inclde one for Bridget, born and baptised in 1866, presumably the Bridget with her parents in the 1871 census, although shown there as aged 7. There is no death of a Bridget KELL*Y 1866-1871 of an age that could be this one.
Hence, I think the death of Bridget KELLY in 1867 may well not have been the wife of a Patrick KELLY, and so be 'available' to be James' wife.
Unfortunately I have not yet identified informant Winifred DOWNING / DOWNEY. If she was not a relative of Bridget DOWNEY and the similar surname a co-incidence it may be easier to understand the wrong husband's name. Both couples, Patrick and Bridget KELLY and James and Bridget KELLY were living in Dark Street at the time of the 1861 census (James and family sched. no. 258, Patrick and family sched. no. 269). If both couples were known to Winifred she may have just made a simple mistake when giving Bridget's husband's name. (Was Winifred the one recorded in the 1861 census as Winnifred O'Donnell, with husband Thomas and their family, also in Dark Street, sched. no. 266?)
Whilst Irish men are sometimes given the nickname Paddy, which I imagine would occasionally lead to confusion, there were so many Irish in this area - more than half the people in the two pages recording James and Bridget and their family were born there, and some of the English-born were the children of Irish couples, that I doubt this nickname would have been used!
Person ID I306472 All | All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study Last Modified 20 Jan 2024
Family James KELLY, b. Abt 1832, Co. Roscommon, Ireland Married 22 Sep 1851 St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Walsall, Staffordshire, England - GRO ref: KELLY, James to DOWNAY, Bridget q3 1851 Walsall RD 17 310
Details from church register entry (image on FMP, viewed 26 Aug 2023)
Since only CofE clergy could be registrars at this time for marriages in their church, James and Bridget would have had to have had a registrar present, and the full (and original) entry with all the details will be in the local Register Office, with copies obtainable from it or a copy of the GRO copy from the GRO. The church register does not give marital status, occupations, ages or names of fathers.
Children4 children Last Modified 26 Aug 2023 Family ID F300853 Family Group Page | Family Chart